This invention relates to fuel delivery systems and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for delivering fuel and for aligning a nozzle with a receiver.
Some gas stations provide customers with full-service and self-service. The price per gallon of gasoline for full-service is higher than self-service to absorb labor costs associated with full service. To save money, most people self-service their vehicles. This requires the customer to exit her vehicle to manually pump, and pay for, the gas. Contemporary gas stations include machines that allow customers to pay for their gas at the pump with credit or debit cards. However, to enhance customer ease and efficiency of pumping gas at the self-service stations, it would be beneficial to provide a system that would allow customers to pump and pay for gas without having to leave the comfort of their vehicles.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide improved apparatus and methods for delivering fuel to a vehicle.
It is a provision of the invention to allow customers to pump and pay for gas at a filling station without having to leave the comfort of their vehicles.
It is another purpose of the present invention to provide new and improved apparatus and methods for delivering fuel to a vehicle that may be easily and inexpensively implemented with existing filling stations.
The foregoing purposes and others are realized in new and improved apparatus and methods for delivering fuel to a vehicle. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a fuel delivery system that includes a receiver coupled in liquid communication with a fuel tank of a vehicle. The receiver defines X, Y and Z axes. Also included is a nozzle coupled in liquid communication with a fuel source. Like the receiver, the nozzle defines Xxe2x80x2, Yxe2x80x2 and Zxe2x80x2 axes. Interactive alignment structure guides alignment of the Z and Zxe2x80x2 axes and the mating of the nozzle with the receiver for fuel delivery in response to movement of the receiver along the X axis and the nozzle along the Yxe2x80x2 and Zxe2x80x2 axes. The interactive alignment structure is normally carried by the receiver and the nozzle and comprises an emitter carried by one of the receiver and the nozzle for emitting a stimulus, and sensor apparatus carried adjacent the other one of the receiver and the nozzle. The sensor apparatus receives the stimulus for guiding and indicating alignment of the Y and Yxe2x80x2 axes and the Z and Zxe2x80x2 axes in a two-dimensional plane in response to movement of the receiver along the X axis, and for guiding and indicating alignment of the Z and Zxe2x80x2 axes. The invention includes drive apparatus for moving the nozzle along the Yxe2x80x2 and Zxe2x80x2 axes. When the Z and Zxe2x80x2 axes are aligned, the drive apparatus can move the nozzle into the receiver for fuel delivery. The stimulus preferably comprises focused light or laser light, and the sensor apparatus preferably comprises a plurality of light sensors.